The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-12-10
Special Contributors.
THE WHITTLE REVIVAL IN DUBUQUE
BY REV. AMOS CRUM.
Dubuque, Iowa.)


Dubuque, Iowa)
[''It shall come to pass in the last days that
the mountain of the Lords house shall be es-
tablished in the top of the mountains and all
nations shall flow unto it." lisa. ii. 81
Referring to this future ingathering
of the nations, we do well to hold the
prophecy good until tis fulfilled. What
glorious time is coming Coming
slowly with the measured step of Provi-
dence. Coming with the breaking of
shadows that herald the dawn, but
coming. The worlds interests are in
good hands. "The earth shall be filled
with the knowledge of the Lord as the
waters cover the sea-" Turning from
the prophetic to the real and present,
let us study the tokens and means of
advancement. Let us consider the re-
vival which was and still is and may
continue. I have an interest in that
revival. have attended it and enjoyed
it. Whatever interests any group of
our citizens interests me. Whatever
benefits our neighboring churches bene-
fits me and my church. This is a strictly
proper theme for public study and dis
course. Many have written about it.
1t has sought to be and has been an
object of much attention. 1t was itself
aggressive and came amply heralded.
1t invited people to think revival and
ta1k revival and to be revived. I speak
of this not to reprove it, but merely to
say that therefore it is wholly removed
from that shield Of privacy which lib
erality must accord to individual con-
victions. In the first place the noble
purpose is to be approved. Every one
of us should be glad for all efforts to
erect standards of better life among the
people. Everybody is to be congratu-
lated for its moderation. 1t had no late
hours, no boisterous or irreverent ges-
ticulation. No exposure Of health. l
congratulate everybody that in more
than fifty sermons and addresses there
was not one unfriendly allusion to any
church or any form of faith. This was
delightfully."- Christian and gentlemanly.
We have seen it otherwise here. We
are convinced that revivals and revival
lists have come to higher plain. The
revival was great thing. 1t is great
thing when hundreds of people for
weeks attend to the single interest
called religion. 1t is great thing when
thousands of heads bow in silent prayer
or when thousand people stand on
their feet in testimony that they share
a common ennobling feeling. That this
should be witnessed not once merely,
nor twice, nor occasionally but often
makes it vastly interesting and inspir-
ing.
How shall we account for this sus-
tanned interest ? Not by the power or
fascination of the preaching. Dubuque
churches are accustomed to far better
preaching than the revival brought here.
There was no quality in the preaching
to account for this large continuous at
tention. Some people probably went
in idle curiosity to see the crowds and
to be entertained without cost. But the
magnificent fact in this local scene was
in its organization. 1t was a victory
because organized. The churches stood
by each other nobly-in solid unity.
There was no croaking. Critics put off
criticising and went to work. Why
shouldn't it succeed when half dozen
great churches led by skilled commit
tees furnish numbers and inspiration?
The good that has been accomplished
is great. Irejoice in it all. And con-
gratulate the workers. But 1 record
my surprise that more was not accom-
plished. Consider the agencies employ
ed. Consider that genuine revival is
surely needed here. Who is satisfied
with the existing state of society? Who
is content with the present attention to
the claims of religion? Consider that
there is a general wish that things were
better than they are in this matter and
it must seem that the results were a
numerical disappointment. We cannot
estimate the spiritual good mathemati-
cally, but still we must count, and the
number who stood to attest their con-
version was too small. 1t may have
reached a hundred. 1t should have
reached five hundred. Some will ac-
count for the fewness Of new converts
by assuming that there is widening
chasm between the class described by
: